FAQs

Q: Do honeybees fly at night?A: Not typically. Bees are cold-blooded and need to be warm for their flight muscles to work. Some bees in tropical locations have been known to fly at night. But in Georgia where the temperatures are cooler at night, the bees tend to stay in the hive.

Q: Are honeybees dangerous?A: The prospect of a sting is not fun nor a happy experience, but honeybees are not dangerous or typically aggressive. There are hives that are more aggressive than others, due to an aggressive queen – but can be re-queened to be more docile. The workers can sting only once, as their stinger ejects after it has punctured your skin, then they die as a result. The queen can sting repeatedly as their stinger is not barbed. However the drone does not have a stinger.

Q: How do honeybees carry pollen?A: There are fine hairs on their hind legs that act like a ‘basket’ or ‘sack’ to hold the pollen. Once these collection areas are full, they will return to the hive to unload the pollen into a cell for storage.

Q: Why do beekeepers paint their hives light colors?A: Some paint their hives white, others green and some pretty, more vibrant colors. These lighter colors help keeping the hive cooler in the summer, especially in direct sunlight. In cooler areas, the beekeepers tend to paint their hives darker colors so that the hives will stay warmer.

Q: How far can a honeybee fly?A: Honeybees are foragers and can fly anywhere from 4-6 miles to collect nectar and pollen from flowers.

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